Windstorm destroys nest, eggs on Journal goosecam

Edmonton Journal04.27.2013

The 800 pound bales the goosecam goose was nested on were blown over Saturday April 27, 2013, by a strong wind gust. The bales along with the nest and eggs fell to the ground, breaking the eggs.Bruce Edwards

The 800 pound bales the goosecam goose was nested on were blown over Saturday April 27, 2013, by a strong wind gust. The bales along with the nest and eggs fell to the ground breaking the eggs.Bruce Edwards
/ Edmonton Journal

The goose that viewers of the goosecam have named Patience sits in her nest atop straw bales on a farm on the edge of Edmonton, April 18, 2013.Bruce Edwards
/ Edmonton Journal

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EDMONTON - The Edmonton Journal’s goosecam is off-air after a windstorm scattered the nest and crushed the eggs on Saturday evening.

Bruce Edwards, a Journal photographer, found the remains of the nest on the farm west of Edmonton where the goose settled each year.

“A sudden gust of wind blew over the 800-pound straw bale the goose had nested on,” Edwards said. “The nest and eggs fell to the ground.”

The five eggs in the nest were broken and crushed in the fall.

The mother Goose, named Patience by online viewers, was not hurt and may eventually pick another place to nest.

For the time being, the Journal goosecam is not operational.

Winds in Edmonton and the surrounding area gusted up to 90 kilometres an hour through the day and evening, according to Environment Canada.

This year’s goosecam, an annual livestream of a goose and her eggs, went live on April 18. The goosecam was in its sixth year, returning every spring. In that time, 23 goslings have hatched.

Before the wind overturned the equipment, a camera also took still photos and tweeted those photos every few minutes with the current temperature and humidity on-site.

Edwards said the goose and gander arrived at the farm on April 1 and made a nest high up on a bale in a covered shed on the property. It was her highest nest yet, more than four metres off the ground.

The goose laid the first egg on April 11. Usually, she would then sit on her nest almost continually until thee eggs hatch between 25 and 28 days later.

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